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Play It Again Sam in the News! In November and December 1999, Play It Again Sam was featured in USA Today, ABC World News, and CNN. Not bad! Play It Again Sam is located in Montpelier, Vermont, USA, and is an authorized musical instrument dealer for: Fender Epiphone DeArmond Peavey Tacoma Weber Alesis Ovation Deering
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www.guitarsam.com/interviews/richard_hunter.htm Richard Hunter is a professional harmonica performer, composer, recording artist, teacher, and the author of "Jazz Harp", from Oak Publications. Richard's recorded works include "The Act of Being Free in One Act", which is the first full-length CD of works for unaccompanied harmonica ever recorded, and "The Second Act of Free Being", a CD that takes solo harmonica to a new level. Check Richard's website at http://www.rootsworld.com/hunter/ to purchase these CD's, and to learn more about Richard Hunter and the art of playing the harmonica. We hope you enjoy this very special Richard Hunter interview at: www.guitarsam.com/interviews/richard_hunter.htm
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This question was posed from a user of "Edly's Music Theory for Practical People". --Dear Edly: I am stuck at a point early in the book and have read and re-read the book from the beginning to this point, but it still doesn't make sense. I am having trouble with the exercises on page 22, that asks the reader to identify "resulting intervals for diatonic harmonization in sixths". I figured out the thirds by counting the half steps between notes on a C scale, and calling the interval M3 if there were 4 steps, and m3 if there were 3 steps. I am baffled when I try to do the same with the sixths. How do you figure out the interval of sixths? In the second paragraph on page 19, it says "... the first method is more efficient assuming you know your scales...". Am I using the first or second method by counting half steps? If I am using the second (less efficient method), what is the first? I would appreciate it very much if you could help me get through this. --Edly answers: "First method" (pg 18 bottom & pg 19, first paragraph) For both chords and intervals, use a formula based on a major scale. In your example, this would mean knowing your major scales and diatonic intervals, and using the appropriate scale to see whether the interval is M or m. The "appropriate scale" is the one beginning on the bottom note of the interval in question. "Second method" (pg 19, second paragraph) Count Half-steps. Both of these methods can be used to "measure" any interval. While they both require some memorization, it seems to me that the first method encourages you to use important information (your major scales), whereas the second requires a lot memorization of the pain-in-the-butt variety (how many half-steps in each interval; blech!). So: Is the sixth interval from E up to C a major or minor sixth? Well, in an E scale (again, use the scale beginning on the bottom note of the interval), the (diatonic, and therefore, major) sixth would be a C#, so E to C is a minor sixth.
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If you have questions about harmonica playing technique, use of different keys, bending, blowing, maintaining and so on, send them to us at sam@guitarsam.com, and we'll have harmonica virtuoso Richard Hunter provide an expert answer for you. --A reader asks: I have a Hohner harmonica I purchased about 6 years ago that is still extremely difficult to play cleanly. I must use a lot of pressure to draw notes and there is a lot of air leakage with the blow notes. It feels very rigid and unresponsive to play. I don't have this problem with any of my other harps, new or old. What do you recommend? Is this just a "bad" harp or is there any way to improve it's responsiveness? --Richard answers: Your message doesn't include any information on what the model is, so it's hard to be certain of the reply. However, it's very likely that the problem is a poor fit between the reed plates and the comb of the harmonica, which is most likely when the instrument has a wooden comb (such as the Marine Band) or is assembled with rivets instead of screws (e.g., older Golden Melodies and Special 20s). Any gap, even a small one, between the reed plate and the comb will result in a very leaky instrument. In the worst case, the leakiness results from a bent reed plate (which may be so subtle as to be invisible to the naked eye), and is absolutely unrepairable short of replacing the reed plates. It is also possible that the problem is poor "gapping" of the reeds, but this usually does not involve the entire instrument. The easiest thing to do is to return the instrument to Hohner for replacement. In the future, I recommend buying only harmonicas that are assembled using screws to hold the reedplates to the comb; these include Lee Oskars (my favorite), Hohner Special 20s, and recently manufactured Golden Melodies. With all of these instruments, you may also consider adding Micropore tape gaskets to make the instrument absolutely airtight. Instructions on fitting these gaskets to a harmonica can be found at my website at the URL below. Thanks.
Musician/luthier Chip Wilson lives in New Orleans, LA. Chip worked with Borys Guitars when master archtop builder James L. D'Aquisto served as a consultant, before opening his own business, Better Guitars. Better Guitars served as an authorized repair shop for most of the top US guitar manufacturers. Chip recently wrote a book review for Guitarmaker, the quarterly publication of ASIA. Chip is now primarily a performer in New Orleans, typically playing 25 to 30 gigs per month, as a soloist, sideman, and with his own band A Jumpin' Somethin'. His 1999 release "A Jumpin' Somethin" was nominated for Best Traditional Jazz CD By A Louisiana Artist by Offbeat Magazine, the most widely distrbuted Louisiana music publication. Chip is currently working on a new CD for release in 2000. "A Jumpin' Somethin" can be obtained online at www.louisianamusicfactory.com, or by contacting Chip at jumpinsomethin@aol.com --A reader asks: I'd like to build my own guitar. How do I start out? --Chip answers: In over twenty years of guitar making, I have frequently been asked, "I'd like to build a guitar, what do you think?" I have seen many "homemade" guitars, and they have ranged from unplayable to professional (or nearly so). This is what I generally tell people in this situation. First, the internet, music stores and the bigger booksellers are great sources of reading material for aspiring builders. Research the various publications that are available, buy one or two and methodically read and absorb as much as possible. Learn what you can from these sources, and you may learn, among other things, that you just might want to go down to your favorite store, internet guitar retailer, or independent luthier and just buy something that is really more to your liking than what you can make at home. Second, the best way to build a first guitar is to find a kit from a dependable source. Various manufacturers including some of the oldest US firms offer both acoustic (typically dreadnought) and electric (typically strat style) instrument kits and videos to go with them.I would advise buying a kit or parts that already have a finish on them. Guitar finishes are very difficult and time consuming. Follow the directions, and perhaps you should find a few individualistic touches to add to your kit, to make it seem like it is really YOURS. Assuming you have done everything else correctly, the final steps (performing light fretwork, making a good nut, and adjusting action, intonation and neck relief) of setting up a kit guitar are among the most difficult for the neophyte. Making your guitar play really well is an achievement that requires patience and determination. Once you have finished your kit, you will have a good idea whether or not you have the "right stuff" to really be a luthier/hobbyist. Did you like doing it? Did it come out okay? Do you enjoy showing it off to your friends? If so, maybe you should start the next project. Above all, the one thing you should really do with your completed guitar kit is...play it.
This contest is over! The answer was , of course Stevie Ray Vaughn. If you're the first to email us with the correct answer to this musical question, you'll win a QuikTune electronic guitar/bass tuner. The question is: --What Texas blues guitarist was a studio musician on David Bowie's "Let's Dance" album? Send your correct answer to us at kevin@guitarsam.com
Congratulations to Christian Guirreri in Virginia, for quickly providing the first correct answer to our question, which was:
Last month's "Talking With" was with Dan Frank, Artist Relations with the Trueline Drumstick Company. www.guitarsam.com/interviews/dan_frank.htm
"Guaranteed to Thrill You!"
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Watch for our next issue of the GuitarSam eZine, due on March 1, 2000.
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For
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at, see 
Our
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send it to us at Play It Again Sam...66 Main St...Montpelier VT 05602...Phone (802) 229-0295...Fax (802) 229-0755